Short Story Spotlight: Found Guilty by Jean Lauzier

What's expected to be an evening of Halloween fun turns into unusual crime scenes and murder.

File Size: 1412 KB
Print Length: 12 pages
Publisher: White Bird Publications, LLC; 1 edition (October 24, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00G5UQUQ2

PURCHASE HERE FOR ONLY 99 CENTS!

Bargain Book: Gotcha Detective Agency Mysteries by Jamie Lee Scott

From USA Today Bestselling author Jamie Lee Scott's Gotcha Detective Agency Mysteries.

Three crime fiction and murder mystery series best sellers for one low price.

Let Us Prey - book 1
Mimi Capurro is trying to put her life back together after the sudden death of her husband. Using the skills she learned as a secret service agent, she runs the Gotcha Detective Agency, along with her skilled computer forensics partner Charles Parks. Gotcha specializes in executive protection (bodyguards), and tailing cheating spouses.

Nick Christianson is running from the demons of his past, and that has put him back in his old stomping grounds in Salinas, CA. Nick has transferred from the San Francisco Homicide Division and is now adjusting to this new police department.

Mimi never expects to run into her old college flame Nick, when she takes on an executive protection case for New York Times bestselling author Lauren Silke. But when Lauren’s assistant is murdered, the homicide case, along with Mimi, land in Nick’s lap. Will Mimi and Nick be able to solve this murder without killing each other first?

Textual Relations - book 2
Mimi Capurro, owner of Gotcha Detective Agency, hasn’t seen her old college flame since they teamed up to find a killer several months earlier. Now, after breaking and entering into an alleged predator’s home, Mimi and Charles find a murder victim on the floor in his bedroom. When homicide detective Nick Christianson and his new partner, Piper Mason, arrive on the scene, this is not the way Mimi expected to see Nick again.

Even though it’s his job, Nick is loath to find the killer. That is until a teenage girl with ties to the victim disappears. Now Mimi, Nick and Charles race against the clock to find the killer and hopefully find the girl in the process.

Death of a Sales Rep - book 3
Mimi and Charles take some time off from the detective agency to help Charles' friend, Anthony DeLuca, sell his exclusive line of voodoo dolls at a trade show in San Francisco. Mimi is less than thrilled to find out Charles has invited Nick Christianson to come along.

But as luck may have it, Mimi finds the body of a dead sales rep. When Anthony is implicated in the suspicious death, Mimi investigates her way, and NIck goes off with his old partner at the SFPD to investigate with them.

With so many viable suspects, who wanted this sales rep dead?

File Size: 1005 KB
Print Length: 519 pages
Publisher: LBB Company (Ryan Lee,Inc.) (December 31, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00AW1K5SE

PURCHASE HERE!

Bargain Kindle Book: Counterfeit Conspiracies by Ritter Ames

From debut author, Ritter Ames, comes a story of international intrigue, priceless works of art, and high stakes romance...

Laurel Beacham grew up in wealth and society—until her grandfather died and her father gambled away the family fortune. Now with more pedigree than trust fund, she is the premier art recovery expert for museums that need to stay one step ahead of international thieves. Her latest assignment pits her against a mystery man, Jack Hawkes, who is not only her equal with blue bloods, but also seems to know where all the bodies are buried. Suddenly Laurel is racing against time to find a priceless art object before the enemy does, locate a missing art world compatriot with crucial information, and decide whether or not she wants to disentangle herself from this new male nemesis, Jack, who seems to know too much about her and her business.

File Size: 3498 KB
Print Length: 215 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1493615084
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Gemma Halliday Publishing (December 1, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00G7080BI

PURCHASE HERE!

First Chapter Review: The Bali Mystery by Linda Weaver Clarke

Linda Weaver Clarke is celebrating the release of the first book in her Amelia Moore Detective Series. This is a cozy mystery.

BLURB:  Amelia Moore, the founder of the Moore Detective Agency, specializes in missing persons. Her cases have taken her to some very interesting places and put her in some dangerous situations, but she always solves the case. With the help of Rick Bonito, her business is flourishing.

When Mrs. Brody hires Amelia and Rick to find her missing brother, they find themselves in Bali, Indonesia. They are mystified why her brother quit his job, put his home up for sale, and ran off to this mysterious and exotic island without telling a soul.

COVER: Like the covers for her other books, you can see great care went into creating this one. The setting and main characters are captured here in an eye-pleasing color scheme. I like the subtle texture to the background.

FIRST CHAPTER: Amelia has accepted a new case that involves finding Mrs. Brody's missing brother, William. It soon becomes apparent that someone would rather she not investigate William's disappearance. That's when Amelia calls in Rick to give her a hand.

KEEP READING: This looks like it will be another great book by Clarke. Though a short chapter, the reader gets a chance to meet the two main characters, and the author works quickly to set up the conflict. Told alternately from Amelia's and Rick's points of view, both characters' personalities shine through. Rick is a bit unorthodox in his approach, whereas Amelia is a no-nonsense kind of gal. It looks like Clarke might be weaving a romantic element into the plot between the two main characters. Right now it's more like Moonlighting, where the two detectives are determined to be just friends while considering the winning attributes of each other secretly. I'm curious to see where these characters go from here.

Series: Amelia Moore Detective Series
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 29, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1497327156
ISBN-13: 978-1497327153

Purchase at:

Amazon paperback

Amazon Kindle

Barnes and Noble paperback

Barnes and Noble Nook

Smashwords

iTunes

Through April 28th, you have a chance to win a free copy of The Bali Mystery by visiting Linda's blog at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com/2014/04/interview-with-mystery-and-sweet.html

I read the first chapter of this novel from the author's website. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Bargain Kindle Books: Murderous Beginnings by Kathy Bennett et al.

A Deadly Blessing by Kathy Bennett

The critically ill daughter of the governor of California has been kidnapped. LAPD Detective Maddie Divine is assigned to find her before it’s too late. But this high-profile case comes with secrets on every side: cops, politicians, even the innocent.

Author's Note: This book contains commonly used street language.

A Dead Red Cadillac (1st in the Dead Red Mystery Series) by RP Dahlke

Twice divorced NY model, Lalla Bains, now runs her dad’s Crop-Dusting business in Modesto, California where she’s hoping to dodge the inevitable fortieth birthday party. But when her trophy red ‘58 Cadillac is found tail-fins up in a nearby lake, the police ask why a widowed piano teacher, who couldn’t possibly see beyond the hood ornament, was found strapped in the driver’s seat. Reeling from an interrogation with local homicide, Lalla is determined to extricate herself as a suspect in this strange murder case. Unfortunately, drug running pilots, a cross-dressing convict, a crazy Chihuahua, and the dead woman’s hunky nephew throw enough road blocks to keep Lalla neck deep in an investigation that links her family to a twenty-year old murder only she can solve.

Love Thy Sister by Maria Grazia Swan

Italian-born Mina Calvi lives in a mansion in idyllic Orange County, California with her protective older sister, Paola. Unemployed again and aimless, Mina can’t seem to find her niche in her adopted country, but confusion and restlessness soon become the least of her problems. Someone is stealing from the software business owned by Paola and her husband, losses so great the business is sinking like the Titanic. And the strange death of a company employee turns out to be murder. Then, while, facing a loss so terrible she can’t bear it, Mina discovers an old family secret that turns her world upside down. There’s some solace in the arms of her blue-eyed lover, amateur sleuth Brian Starr, but danger still stalks her at every turn, edging closer and closer as Mina tries to untangle the web of lies, adultery and treachery, and put her life back together

Sweet Masterpiece: The First Samantha Sweet Mystery by Connie Shelton

"Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes." —The Midwest Book Review

Amazon #1 selling mystery author Connie Shelton has wowed readers with her down-to-earth female sleuth in her Charlie Parker mystery series. Now she introduces a new set of characters in a mystery series that contains a little romance, a little magic and a lot of chocolate! Samantha Sweet is a lady who breaks into houses for a living, and the things she discovers often lead to trouble. When she finds an unmarked grave on a property in a remote spot in Taos County, New Mexico, Sam calls the authorities. A small mural painted inside a closet in the abandoned house provides clues and Sam is caught up in an investigation. A fortune in artwork, a bogus will, and a wooden box that seems to give Sam powers she never dreamed she possessed--all lead to a genuine mystery for Sam to solve.

In For A Penny by Maggie Toussaint

Amateur sleuth Cleopatra Jones of rural Hogan’s Glen, Maryland faces an unwanted hazard when she skulls her golf ball across the number six green and it lands in the inseam of a very dead banker. Though the victim is a longtime friend of Cleo’s, his ongoing dispute with Cleo’s best friend and golfing partner, Jonette, is public knowledge. When the police key in on Jonette as the prime suspect, Cleo sets out to find the real killer.

Amidst the fun of wacky meals, dueling daughters, Mama’s heart problem, lovesick Saint Bernards, a sexy golf pro, a repentant ex-husband and a host of murder suspects, Cleo does what she does best. With her trusty spreadsheets and logical accountant’s brain, she organizes the information and ferrets out a crazed killer.

Set against the lush splendor of mid-Atlantic springtime, this fun-packed mystery with a dash of romance will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next.

File Size: 1911 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00ILDJWZC

PURCHASE HERE!

Bargain Kindle Book: Scones, Skulls, & Scams by Leighann Dobbs

Brook Ridge Falls favorite bakery owner, Lexy Baker, has everything she ever wanted. A new husband she adores. A thriving bakery business. Everything is going great.

... Until a new bakery springs up across the street and tries every trick in the book to put her out of business!

Lexy smells something rotten about the bakery and it isn’t just their stale brownies. When her own bakery is broken into she knows who did it ... but what she can’t figure out is why.

Could the new baker be after her great-grandmothers prize winning scone recipe, or is there another more sinister reason?

Meanwhile ...

A grizzly discovery in the sewer system sends her and her gang of iPad toting grandmas off to solve a decades old crime under the streets of brook ridge falls.

Could a seventy year old crime be related to the new bakery?


File Size: 1646 KB
Print Length: 215 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1495276066
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00HPY1F62

PURCHASE HERE!

Bargain Kindle Book: Limoncello Yellow by Traci Andrighetti

From debut author, Traci Andrighetti, comes a tale of murder, mayhem, and meddling Sicilian grandmas...

Francesca "Franki" Amato is a tough-talking rookie cop in Austin, Texas—until an unfortunate 911 call involving her boyfriend, Vince, and a German female wrestler convinces her once and for all that she just isn't cut out for a life on the police force. So Franki makes the snap decision to move to New Orleans to work at her friend Veronica's detective agency, Private Chicks, Inc. But Franki's hopes for a more stable life are soon dashed when Private Chicks is hired by the prime suspect in a murder case to find out what really happened to a beautiful young boutique manager who was found strangled to death with a cheap yellow scarf. When she's not investigating, Franki is hoping to seduce handsome bank executive Bradley Hartmann, but most of her time is spent dodging date offers from a string of "good Italian boys"—make that not-so-good aging Italian men—that her meddlesome Sicilian grandma has recruited as marriage candidates. As Mardi Gras approaches and the mystery of the murdered shop girl gets more complicated, Franki must decipher the odd ramblings of a Voodoo priestess to solve both the murder and the mystery of her own love life.

File Size: 1721 KB
Print Length: 250 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1493690817
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Gemma Halliday Publishing (January 4, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00GK3LY92

PURCHASE HERE!

Kindle Freebie: Departed by Nick Stephenson

*** For a limited time, get a free copy of "Paydown", the latest Leopold Blake novella, plus seven other thriller shorts, when you sign up to the author's New Releases mailing list. Click here to find out more: nickstephensonbooks.com (just copy and paste into your browser) ***


Playtime's over...

Expert criminology consultant Leopold Blake is having yet another bad week. While tracking a psychopathic serial killer through the streets of London, the reclusive investigator realizes with chilling certainty that history is about to repeat itself - with devastating consequences.

Where Scotland Yard and MI5 have failed, Leopold must find a way to hunt down and apprehend a ruthless maniac before he strikes again. And the clock is ticking. Now Blake and his team must face their greatest challenge yet: an unseen force, intent on wreaking havoc throughout the city, is hunting on its home turf - and Leopold is about to realize that the good guy doesn't always win.

Departed is the second novel in the Leopold Blake series of thrillers, which can be read and enjoyed in any order.

File Size: 4557 KB
Print Length: 208 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: WJ Books Ltd (July 1, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00DQO436O

PURCHASE HERE!

Book Spotlight: The Whitechapel Virgin by Carla Acheson

Catherine, a fifteen year old runaway, stumbles into a seedy brothel-house tavern in the back streets of Whitechapel, London. She hesitates at the scene before her, one filled with low class prostitutes and drunkards, but it is late, and the dimly-lit labyrinthine alleyways are filled with deviant fellows and petty criminals.

Weary and hungry, she meets Eddie, the rugged young tavern boy who shows her to a room for the night. She settles down only to be awoken in the early hours by piercing cries from the room next door. Arising to find the cause of the commotion, she becomes witness to a gruesome abortion.

Filled with revulsion, Catherine decides to flee as soon as daylight arrives, but Eddie quickly soothes her fears and convinces her to stay, arranging for her to meet Madame Davenport, the nefarious brothel-mistress who employs Catherine as a serving girl, under the proviso she begins work ‛servicing’ men once she is settled in.

Difficulties arise, however, when Eddie’s growing romantic affections for Catherine clash with her sudden infatuation for the dashing middle-class gent, Mr Cross. Unknown to Catherine, the lothario is keeping a diary of his affairs with Whitechapel’s whores, with the dishonourable intention of turning his writing into a successful ‛gentleman’s, publication.’ Mr Cross quickly seduces the fresh young virgin, allowing his sexual fantasies to escalate into an unfathomable obsession.

As Catherine tries her hardest to fit into the ways of life at the lodging house, she encounters only jealousy from Eddie, and resentment from the other prostitutes who reside there. Annie, in particular, dislikes the new girl who has blossoming beauty and youth on her side.

Unexpectedly one night, a crime occurs within the narrow landing of George Yard Buildings. Local prostitute Martha Tabram is found brutally hacked to death by a cruel assailant. The police can unearth no explainable motive. The Victorian crime stuns the entire Whitechapel district, causing widespread panic amongst the prostitutes who each fear for their own lives.

Catherine’s anxiety increases when Edward Cross begins to show signs of ‘odd’ sexual behaviour and mental decline, as he brutally tries to expunge the girl of her virtues. When two more gruesome murders occur in the area, the prostitutes realise that there is no escape from the vicious killer who calls himself Jack The Ripper. But who is he? And who will be the next Jack victim?

PURCHASE THE WHITECHAPEL VIRGIN:

AMAZON KINDLE

AMAZON PAPERBACK

Carla lives in Gibraltar with her family and is a member of the Freelance Writers Association. She works as a book reviewer and has interviewed and published book reviews and articles for best-selling and award-winning authors. Her articles and reviews have been featured in various press publications, as well as Waterstones Quarterly UK Magazine.

Her debut fiction novel ‘The Last Gift’ released October 2012, is available on both Kindle and paperback.

Carla is also the founder of the Rock Writers Group formed in Gibraltar in 2009.

Music production, singing, reading and writing have always been the main essential ingredients in Carla’s life.

Carla's Website / Goodreads / Facebook

Bargain Kindle Books: Killer Mop Doll by Lois Winston

Overdue bills and constant mother vs. mother-in-law battles at home are bad enough. But crafts editor Anastasia Pollack's stress level is maxed out when she and her fellow American Woman editors get roped into unpaid gigs for a revamped morning TV show. Before the glue is dry on Anastasia's mop dolls, morning TV turns crime drama when the studio is trashed and the producer is murdered. Former co-hosts Vince and Monica—sleazy D-list celebrities—stand out among a lengthy lineup of suspects, all furious over the show's new format. And Anastasia has no clue her snooping has landed her directly in the killer's unforgiving spotlight.

File Size: 2085 KB
Print Length: 311 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1940795036
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00J6AUT06

PURCHASE HERE!

Kindle Freebie: Pageant and Poison by Cindy Bell

When Bekki gets a desperate call from her old boss to come and help out at a beauty pageant in New York, she cannot refuse. She is very excited to visit her old hangouts, catch up with friends and do some shopping.

However, she soon realises that maybe it wasn’t the best idea. Not only does she leave her hunky boyfriend Detective Nick Malonie to work on a case with a drop dead gorgeous FBI Agent, but the organizer of the pageant, Candy, is found dead. Bekki is one of the possible suspects that New York police officer Liam Hanks is investigating.

Will the murderer be found so the show can go on? Will Detective Nick meet Bekki for a romantic weekend in New York or would he prefer to spend the weekend with sexy Special Agent Lilian Fox?



File Size: 1186 KB
Print Length: 137 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00FYW84VQ

PURCHASE HERE!

F. M. Meredith, Author of the Rocky Bluff P.D. Series at The Busy Mom's Daily Tomorrow!

F. M. Meredith, author of the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, is visiting The Busy Mom's Daily tomorrow to promote the latest book in the series, Murder in the Worst Degree. She's also running a contest. Hope you'll stop by.

Kindle Freebie: Absolution by Susan Fleet

THEIR WORST NIGHTMARE . . . GETS WORSE

Vulnerable young women let a serial killer into their homes because they trust him.
The killer tortures them, kills them and takes a gruesome trophy.

IS THE KILLER A PRIEST?

Everyone has something to hide. Some of the darkest secrets reside in a parish church. A tip from a prostitute leads New Orleans Detective Frank Renzi to believe the killer may be a priest.
A ruthless stalker, the serial killer uses his position to snare more women. With Renzi hot on his trail, he persuades a teenaged girl to help him escape. Will Renzi be able to save her?

Who would YOU trust? A police officer or a priest?

File Size: 3373 KB
Print Length: 283 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Music and Mayhem Press; 2 edition (February 16, 2008)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B003MNH7JY

PURCHASE HERE!

Kindle Freebie: The Gauguin Collection by Estelle Ryan

Murdered artists. Masterful forgeries. Art crime at its worst.

As an insurance investigator and world renowned expert in nonverbal communication, Dr Genevieve Lenard faces the daily challenge of living a successful, independent life. Particularly because she has to deal with her high functioning Autism. Nothing - not her studies, her high IQ or her astounding analytical skills - prepared her for the changes about to take place in her life.

It started as a favour to help her boss' acerbic friend look into the murder of a young artist, but soon it proves to be far more complex. Forced out of her predictable routines, safe environment and limited social interaction, Genevieve is thrown into exploring the meaning of friendship, expanding her social definitions, and for the first time in her life be part of a team in a race to stop more artists from being murdered.

File Size: 1099 KB
Print Length: 438 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B008X3NCRE

PURCHASE HERE!

Bargain Kindle Books: Deadly Search by Donna Welch Jones

Sheriff Lexie Wolfe becomes entangled in a web of deceit as she searches for her father’s murderer. At the center of the investigation is her mother, Margo, a beautiful temptress who used the love and attention of Diffee men to feed her ego before rejecting them. Her mother may be the reason Lexie’s father, Nodin, was killed. But which of Margo’s pawns did it: the judge, the lawyer, the mayor or someone else? The investigation and Lexie's betrayal of the man she loves propels her life into a dark downward spiral. If she finds her father’s killer what price will she pay for revenge?

File Size: 279 KB
Print Length: 132 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Deadly Niche Press (November 7, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00AXBM72K
Only 99 cents!

PURCHASE HERE!

From My TBR Pile: Lust, Money & Murder by Mike Wells

Born in the worst suburb in Pittsburgh, Elaine Brogan is bright, beautiful and bold. When her father is falsely arrested for passing counterfeit $100 bills, Elaine fights her way into the Secret Service, determined to punish the man responsible. Join Elaine on a dangerous, romantic journey that takes her halfway around the globe and into the hands of the most ruthless counterfeiter in the world.

First Sentence:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania--1985

The day Elaine Brogan was born, Patrick Brogan's life underwent a dramatic change.


File Size: 289 KB
Print Length: 106 pages
Publisher: Mike Wells (January 18, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B005638LWK

PURCHASE HERE!

100 Facebook Followers Giveaway

Nothing like a new blog to encourage a giveaway. Books Can Be Deadly is a project I've planned for the past few years, so it's exciting to see it finally come to fruition. Now, we need some people following this blog to make it a great place.

Whether you are an existing Facebook follower or following through this giveaway, you are eligible to win. See the terms and conditions below. Good luck!

Chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

Terms and Conditions:

• Winner must be 18 years of age or older.
• Winner will be notified by email and have 72 hours to claim the prize before a new winner is selected.
• Prize is dependent on Books Can Be Deadly reaching 100 Facebook  followers. If the blog doesn't reach 100 Facebook followers by May 3, 2014, this contest will be canceled and a new contest begun.
• VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

From My TBR Pile: What Comes Next by John Katzenbach

A retired university professor is diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease that will lead him to lose his memory and die within a few years. On his way home from the doctor’s office, he witnesses a pretty young girl being kidnapped right off the street. As the police drag their heels, he realizes that if he doesn’t act the girl may never be found alive.

Jennifer Riggins, the kidnapped girl, is being held prisoner by a perverted couple who run an exclusive Web site called “What Comes Next,” on which viewers can watch, in real time, the horrors inflicted on their victims. Given the moniker “Number Four,” Jennifer is at the mercy of the depraved pair, with thousands tuning in for every episode of her ongoing nightmare.

What Comes Next is a bold and timely thriller about what lurks within the depths of society’s most depraved minds, and how the only hope for a girl whose life is just beginning is a man whose life is nearing its end.

First sentence:

As soon as the door opened he knew he was dead.

Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Mysterious Press (June 11, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 080212125X
ISBN-13: 978-0802121257